UK Supreme Court chief executive retires

Ms Rowe led much of the work involved in the creation of the Supreme Court and the transfer of staff and judges from the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords, alongside the move of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council from its former home in Downing Street.

She said: “I am proud to have played a key part in one of the country’s biggest constitutional developments in modern times, and to have attracted a great team to support the Justices in their important work.

“It is an enormously stimulating role and the decision to step down at the end of this legal year was not an easy one to make, but I cannot think of a better position from which to end full time public service and to move on to the next phase of my life.”

Ms Rowe’s long civil service career includes periods as principal private secretary to two Lord Chancellors and serving as director of policy and administration for the Office of the Attorney General.

She was appointed chief executive of the Supreme Court in 2008, and has overseen the establishment of the new organisation and the management of its 50 staff who provide professional support to the 12 justices.

Ms Rowe was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 2013, for services to the administration of justice and to The Royal British Legion, where she served as a trustee for eight years.